Despite repeated claims by the North Idaho Trailblazers (NITB), evidence confirms that a legally recognized “West Fork Pine Creek Road” has NEVER existed:
- No official resolution was ever passed to declare or designate such a road.
- No public hearings were held to discuss its designation.
- No surveys were conducted from the confluence of the forks to establish a road.
- No land deeds were transferred from private landowners to Shoshone County.
- No compensation was ever made to landowners for right-of-way losses.
- No public maintenance was conducted (repairs, plowing, upkeep).
- No federal declaration ever designated it as a road before the Coeur d’Alene National Forest was created in 1903.
Additionally, historical railroad deeds (1890s) and land patent deeds covering the area make no mention of a road. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) also noted in 1999 that the route had repeatedly flooded and been altered, further undermining claims of a permanent roadway.
The Trailblazers’ False Claims About the Attorney General
On August 19, 2025, representatives of the North Idaho Trailblazers, through their Attorney David Claiborne, met with Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador. Following the meeting, the group made multiple misleading statements to the public:
In a Facebook post (Aug. 23, 2025), NITB falsely claimed that AG Labrador compared the disputed gate to a log across a road and encouraged citizens to cut it down if necessary.
They announced plans for a “Breach Party,” implying the Attorney General endorsed destroying private property. However, AG Labrador formally refuted these claims in a written letter: He clarified that his office has no jurisdiction over the dispute, and never instructed or authorized anyone to remove or destroy the gate. Highlighting such matters must be resolved through county officials, federal authorities, or the courts, not through vigilante actions.
In short, the NITB misrepresented his words and attempted to use his authority to justify their planned unlawful activity.
Misleading the Public: Two Contradictory Narratives
The NITB contradicted itself in public statements within days:
1. August 23, 2025, post–falsely attributed remarks to AG Labrador, suggesting people could remove the gate.
2. August 26, 2025, post-admitted Labrador had no jurisdiction over the road, and that any “breach” would be their own decision, not his guidance.
This clear reversal highlights an attempt to deceive their followers into believing they had state support for their illegal actions.
Allegedly, on August 24, 2025, members of the North Idaho Trailblazers drove their jeeps through West Fork Pine Creek, a non-motorized area, in violation of federal rules under 43 CFR Part 8340.
Statement from Kurt Pindel, director of the Bureau of Land Management, Coeur d’Alene office, August 29, 2025.
It is reported that the group illegally traversed the creek bed, destroyed signage marking non-motorized restrictions, and destroyed a gate owned by Manu Life Timber, placed on Joe Avery’s property.
Ally and non-profit, Blue Ribbon Coalition, also encouraged taking the gate down illegally.
These actions have drawn attention from federal authorities, with discussions about potential federal charges for vandalism and illegal motorized access. Shoshone County Prosecutor Ben Allen has not yet pressed charges for the group’s heinous activities.
The North Idaho Trailblazers have repeatedly attempted to rewrite the facts surrounding the West Fork Pine Creek dispute. There is no legal basis for their claim that a public road exists there, and their own contradictory statements show deliberate efforts to mislead the public about both the history of the land and their interactions with the Attorney General.
Their August 24th illegal actions further underline a pattern of disregard for law, landowners’ rights, and federal authority. The “West Fork Pine Creek Road” is a fabrication — one that has been used to justify trespass, vandalism, and false narratives aimed at rallying public support.
Read more about the background of the West Fork Pine Creek dispute
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